


I never planned on you

by paintbug



Series: I never planned on you (Fake Dating au) [1]
Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angsty Jack Kelly, Art Student Jack Kelly, Bisexual Jack Kelly, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Good Boyfriend Spot Conlon, Jack and Crutchie are oblivious, M/M, Minor Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins, Pining, Sad Jack Kelly, Soft Spot Conlon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-07-23 23:49:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16169270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintbug/pseuds/paintbug
Summary: In a world full of people desperate for a date, Jack and Crutchie are perfectly happy single. So when everyone wants them to find dates, they do.It's just not what you'd expect.





	1. Love at first sight's for suckers

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So I have this fic all planned out, i'm hoping it works okay. I will try to keep updates consistent. Enjoy!

Valentines day was a waste of time and money. At least that’s what Jack Kelly thought. It was a day designed for couples to show off their devotion for one another, spending endless amounts of cash on bright red cards smothered in sickening hearts and teddy bears. Of course, like said before, this would be a waste because two weeks later they’d be screaming at one another, vowing to never speak again. High School love just didn’t last. 

However, when the school put up love themed posters and every couple in sight was giggling back and forth about the special day, Jack couldn’t avoid it anymore. 

“So, after I mention the football team I’ll- Jack, are you even listening?” Katherine asked frowning at the boy beside her. He sat pulling his sandwich apart and tossing it down onto the table, his face holding an expression of distaste. 

“I am Kath! I just wish those two would stop…” Jack murmured, his eyes on his brother Spot as he was spoon fed homemade pasta by his boyfriend.

“You’re just jealous because no one loves you,” Spot teased, his mouth full and a stupid smirk on his face as Race snorted with laughter from beside him. 

Jack was quick to flip the pair off, shoving some bread into his mouth to mimic his brother.

“Don’t worry Jack, we’ll find you someone.” Katherine was giggling too now, her article long forgotten. “I’m sure there’s someone here for you.”

Race visibly perked up at this, straightening up in his seat. “Yeah! We’ll set you up!” He exclaimed propping his elbows on the table and grinning across at Jack. It was clear his mind was racing to form a plan. His face suddenly changed, now focussed on something over Jacks shoulder. “You too! You’re lonely!” 

Jack glanced over in confusion, only to see Crutchie now stood behind him. 

“What?” The boy laughed, nudging Jack out the way to sit beside him. He dropped his lunch bag onto the table and pulled it open. “What’s this about me being lonely?” He asked, glancing sideways up at his best friend for an explanation. 

Jack only rolled his eyes, nodding at the couple in front of him, “they want to set me up with someone.” He explained, shrugging slightly. 

“Don’t deny it Jackie! It’s valentine’s day soon, and it’s literally a sin to be single on valentine’s day!” Race explained as he absentmindedly offered Spot another forkful of pasta. “You too Crutchie, we gotta find you someone!” 

Crutchies eyes widened, “nope! Not happening. I don’t need either of you messing with my love life!” He argued. “I’m perfectly happy on my own.” He didn’t trust them. Who would? This was the same pair who set fire to a bush and called it a bonfire back in November. 

“Don’t think you get out of it that easily,” Katherine laughed, shaking her head and standing up as the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. “See you tomorrow losers.” 

Jack was quick to follow her lead, wanting to avoid this conversation at all costs. “Hey, Crutch. We still on for pizza later?” He asked, scooping up his ruined sandwich and tossing it into the nearest bin. 

“Yeah, totally.” Crutchie nodded, grabbing his worn crutch from the floor and sliding it under his arm. “See you later.”   
Jack grinned, watching him go. “See ya.”  
-  
Jack met Crutchie outside the front of the school as he always did, they were walking home as Spot had taken the car for him and Racer. He stood, scuffing the toe of his already dirty shoe into the dry mud, watching as it flew up and spiralled in the wind. Being February, it was still cold out, but of course Jack had forgotten his jacket, so instead he slid his hands into his jean pockets and hunched his shoulders over in a miserable attempt at reserving warmth.

“Hey!” Crutchies voice came from behind, making Jack jump. 

“Hey,” he chuckled softly, trying to ignore the way his cheeks flushed from the scare. “Ready to go?” He asked, straightening up a little. 

Crutchie nodded, turning towards the path. “How was art?” Crutchie knew Jack had been working on a big piece recently and had gotten somewhat stressed about it.

“Really good actually!” Jack grinned. He quickly jumped into a vivid explanation about what he had to do and how he was doing it. Crutchie just beamed, nodding along as he listened. He was glad Jack was doing better, when he got stressed he had the habit of ignoring everyone, just focussing on his task until he either finished it or pushed himself over the edge and broke down. 

They finally reached Jacks house and stepped inside to the warm smell of cooking and Jacks adoptive mother, Medda Larkin, singing along to the radio in the kitchen.

“Quick,” Jack whispered, “before she catches us!” He took Crutchies hand in his and lead him upstairs, not so fast that Crutchie couldn’t keep up, but fast enough to avoid an interrogation about his day.

They spent the afternoon watching pointless YouTube videos, and at some point Crutchie tried to follow a hair tutorial on Jacks slightly too long hair only to tie it in knots. So now they were sat, Jack on the floor and Crutchie on the bed with Spots stolen hairbrush, trying to untangle it all. 

“I really hope they don’t try set us up with people,” Jack laughed, leaning his head back into Crutchies hands. “I’m okay as I am, y’know?”

Crutchie nodded, smiling softly. “Same here, I don’t need no one tying me down!”

“If only there was a way to stop them,” Jack whispered, wincing as Crutchie pulled at his hair.

“Sorry,” Crutchie murmured absentmindedly, he paused to think for a moment, staring at Jacks poster covered bedroom wall. 

“What if we found people to date? Like fake date them?” He asked slowly.

Jack hummed in acknowledgement, “That… could actually work!” He turned on his knees to face Crutchie. “But who would be willing to do it?” 

Crutchie shrugged, fiddling with the hairbrush. “I dunno…who do we trust not to snitch?” he asked. 

Jack paused, scanning his mind for answers. “Literally no one,” he laughed. “We really need better friends.”

Crutchie nodded, his hair falling in his face at the movement. “What if… what if we fake dated each other?” He asked slowly, unsure if it was a good idea.

Jack went still, considering it. “I mean… It makes sense.” He hummed softly. “we’d need a backstory.”

Crutchie nodded in agreement, “definitely.” 

“And you better fake ask me out properly,” Jack said, raising an eyebrow in amusement. 

“Fine!” Crutchie laughed, rolling his eyes. He paused, watching Jack for a second before speaking. “Jack Kelly, will you be my fake boyfriend?” He asked, giggling at how stupid it sounded,

“Of course, I will!” Jack beamed dramatically. “I thought you’d never ask!” 

“Shut up!” Crutchie chuckled, shoving Jack playfully. 

Jack pretended to fall back, faking offence. Eventually they settled down and Crutchie moved to finish brushing out Jacks hair. 

“So, we’ll need a back story,” Jack said, glancing up at Crutchie, who nodded slowly.

“Yeah, it’ll have to be believable though.” Crutchie hummed, letting Jacks hair fall through his fingers for a moment. “I guess we just realised we were closer than friends and decided to act on it?”

“Makes sense,” Jack said, “and I guess we’d have to say we’ve been dating a while; it explains why we don’t want them to find us other people.” 

Crutchie nodded, patting Jacks head to make him look up. “How long then?” He asked, “a couple weeks?” 

Jack smiled, “Sounds perfect.”


	2. Close your eyes... come with me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Crutchie tell the others they're dating and it's movie night!

For Jack, the night rushed by and the next morning arrived way too soon. It had hit him right in the middle of the night, just how stupid their idea was. No one would believe them. He hadn’t even asked Crutchie how far they were going with it. Would they have to hold hands and do all the stuff couples did? How long were they going to play it out for? 

He was shocked out of his thoughts as his alarm rang, causing his cheap off brand smart phone to jump about on his bedside table. He’d never bothered to get a proper high-tech phone like his friends, instead spending his Christmas wishes on art supplies and music. With a reluctant groan, he reached over and picked the phone up, he didn’t even want to consider how long he’d been awake now. He hastily shut off the insistent ringing and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Here goes nothing. 

The walk to school was slow, Spot had taken the car again, not bothering to offer Jack a lift. He had his headphones in as he walked, scuffing his shoes on the floor as he always did.  
When he got to school he met Crutchie outside, the boy smiling up at him and easing his fears just a little.

“Hey, Jack!” Crutchie beamed, heading towards him. 

“Hey.” Jacks reply was short, not as upbeat as usual, and Crutchie clearly noticed.

“You okay?” He asked softly, hand moving to adjust the grey beanie that sat atop his sun kissed, sandy blonde hair. 

Jack simply nodded, shrugging as if the simple gesture would change the subject. This time, it didn’t.

“What’s up?” Crutchie asked slowly, eyes watching Jacks expression. 

Something about Crutchie always got Jack to talk in a way no one else could understand, so of course he spoke up. “I’m just nervous I guess?” He shrugged again. “Are we gonna be all lovey-dovey and stuff?” Jack asked after a moment pause.

Crutchie laughed, carefully shaking his head. “We might have to around the others… but nothing you don’t want to do.” He smiled reassuringly at Jack who just nodded slowly.

“Okay,” Jack said. The bell suddenly rang out, allowing him no more time to ponder on his worries. 

“I’ll see you at lunch.” Crutchie said, “Don’t worry. Okay?”

“Got it,” Jack smiled slightly, which Crutchie deemed an achievement. 

They both went their separate ways as class began.  
-

“Then his cat attacked me!” Spot was exclaimed, throwing his hand up to point at a scratch that now sat across his cheek. 

“Only because you made her jump!” Race argued, rolling his eyes. 

They were explaining some elaborate story from the night before, where Race’s cat had declared its undying hatred for Spot.  
Everyone was at the table but Jack, which wasn’t anything new. He often over ran when he had art just before lunch.

When he eventually did arrive, it was just in time to cut off the fighting.

“Hey. Hey!” He laughed, sitting down in his usual spot beside Crutchie. “Calm down a little.” 

Jack pulled out his lunch and dropped his bag onto the floor at his feet. He quickly opened his sandwich, deciding to eat it today, rather than destroy it.

“So, Jack,” Spot said, prompting his brother to look up. “Crutchie said you two have something to tell us?” he asked.

Jacks head snapped round to look at Crutchie, who just smiled back. 

“Should I tell them?” he asked quietly.

Jack couldn’t exactly say no, so he just nodded silently. He didn’t look away from Crutchie, not wanting to watch his brother’s reaction to their ‘news’. 

“Okay, so Jack and I have been meaning to tell you for a while I guess,” Crutchie started, glancing back at Jack. “We’re dating!” he said suddenly. He knew if he’d waited any longer he’d have backed out, and the nervous look on Jack’s face was making him question their decision. 

The lunch table was a mess of chaotic noise. Everyone was talking at once, desperate to find out more. 

“How long?!” It was Davey, putting down the book he’d been reading and leaning closer to the others. 

Jack responded this time, having gained a little of Crutchies confidence. “About two weeks.” 

“Two weeks?!” Race exclaimed. “And you didn’t tell us?!”

Spot was watching Jack carefully, eyes narrowed in on his brother. “Is this why you didn’t want us to find you a date?” He asked slowly, causing Crutchie to wonder if Spot had already caught onto their lie. 

“Uhuh…” Jack nodded nervously, waiting for Spot to speak up again.

“Fair enough,” Spot shrugged, smiling a little. 

Jack breathed out a sigh on relief, a grin settling across his face. 

A squeal was heard from the other end of the table, and Jack and Crutchie looked over to see Katherine practically bouncing in her seat. “I called it!” She said. “I told all of you they’d get together!”

“You did?!” Jack asked, eyes widening slightly at the news. 

“Yeah!” Katherine grinned. “You’ve always seemed so perfect for each other. It made sense.” She shrugged. 

A hum of agreement spread across the table. Apparently, everyone but Jack and Crutchie had seen this coming. At least it made it more believable. 

Race, who was as energetic as always, leaned onto the table, propping his head up on his hands. “You can officially cuddle at movie night!” He said, eyes wide with excitement. 

Crutchie giggled, nudging Jacks shoulder. “Nah, Jack ain’t too big on PDA.” 

Jack smiled thankfully up at Crutchie, nodding. 

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.  
-  
Movie night was a weekly occurrence, every Friday after school, the group would head back to Spot and Jack’s for pizza, films and an unhealthy amount of Soda. Katherine always brought the pizza, Race supplied the drinks and Davey let the group use his Netflix account. The same things happened every week. Katherine would get bored of the movie and end up writing some sort of review about it; Race would drink too much Fanta, and would have too much energy too stay still, Spot would laugh at him and the others would simply watch the movie. 

However, this week was slightly different. Jack hadn’t slept too well the night before, his fears about today keeping him up and sleepless. So here he was, sat beside Crutchie on the couch as they watched some movie Davey had picked, and struggling to stay awake. His legs were curled up underneath him, causing him to lean sideways into Crutchie. No one minded, they sat like this anyway. The only difference was that Crutchie had draped his arm over Jacks shoulders, just to make their relationship believable. It was comforting, and didn’t take long for Jack to drift off, curled up beside his best friend.

When he next woke it was dark, everyone else had gone home. Everyone but Crutchie, who was fast asleep beside Jack with his arms wrapped lazily around the other boy. Jack shifted slightly, moving to gaze up at the sleeping boy. He looked peaceful, his eye lashes fluttered slightly with every breath, and his freckled cheeks were flushed with sleep. Ever so carefully, Jack let his head rest against Crutchies chest, so that he could almost hear his heart beat. Someone had put a blanket over them, and Jack slowly pulled it back up, tucking it in around his shoulders. 

He was sure this meant Medda now knew too, but they could deal with that tomorrow. Right now, Jack was peaceful and that was all that mattered. He let himself drift off again. 

Yeah, this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos greatly appreciated! :)


	3. Vines and chicken nuggets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Valentines day!   
> Featuring brotherly bonding!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a plan... but then I changed the plan and this happened.  
> Also I'm British so I do use the British spelling for things.

Neither of the boys had thought about valentine’s day until the day before when they both realised they should probably do something. If they didn’t the others would easily catch on that something wasn’t right. Jack had been listening to some old CD he’d found when his phone buzzed. He picked it up, not bothering to unlock the phone and just reading the text from the notification. 

Crutchie: hey, r we doing anything tomorrow?

Jack frowned, confused for a moment. He took a glance at the date and instantly understood. Tomorrow was that day of the year Jack would never understand, and it was now a day he was expected to participate in. 

Jack: i guess we should

Jack: any ideas?

When Crutchie didn’t reply immediately, Jack was left trying to think of ideas himself. What did couples do on valentine’s day?! It was way to late to book a fancy restaurant, not that either of them would enjoy that. Did they really have to make a big deal out of it? It’s not like they were actually dating. 

With a groan, Jack gave in and decided to ask the ‘family expert.’ 

“Spotttt!” he called, knowing his brother was just down the hall. “Spooootttt!” Jack grinned as he heard a sigh and the tell-tale sound of his brother stomping across the hall. 

“What?!” Spot asked, kicking the bottom of Jack’s bedroom door to make it swing open. “I’m a busy man Kelly.”

Jack pulled a face, hanging upside down off his bed and gazing up at the boy from his new position.

“What do couples do on Valentine’s day?” He asked.

Spot raised an eyebrow and stepped closer. He was quiet for a moment, watching Jack hang upside down. He then very slowly sat down, careful not to force the other boy down onto the floor. 

“You still ain’t got plans?” He asked, leaning back against Jacks bedroom wall and crossing his arms against his chest with a questioning hum.

“Uh… no?” Jack sighed, not meaning for it to sound so much like a question. “We don’t really want to do much… just something I guess?” 

Spot sat, watching his brother was a moment. “What have you brought him?” He asked, “Can’t you do something to do with that?” 

Jack shrugged, hesitating before murmuring a quiet. “Nothing...?” 

Spot groaned, “Oh my god, Jack!” he reached beside him and hit Jack’s ankle. “You haven’t got him anything?!” he asked. “At all?!”

Jack peered up at his brother, shaking his head sheepishly. “No…” He slowly, sat up so that he was upright on the bed, facing Spot. “I don’t do this kinda thing!” he whined. “You’re supposed to be helping me!”

Spot frowned, shaking his head. “Okay! Okay.” He said. “We’re gonna go to the store, and you’re gonna buy that kid some chocolate, and a teddy bear or something cute. Okay?”

Jack nodded, rolling off the bed to grab a jacket and turn off his music.

Ten minutes later they were in the car, heading for the store. 

“How come you’ve left this so late?” Spot asked, glancing briefly across at Jack before turning his attention back to the road. The weather had said snow, so both boys were watching the soft grey sky and hoping it would hold off for today. 

“I dunno…” Jack grumbled, clearly unhappy that his brother was bringing it up again. “I hate Valentine’s day, you know that.” He shrugged.

Spot sighed, a smirk drifting onto his face. “But Jackie!” he teased in a high-pitched voice. “It’s different this year!”

Jack rolled his eyes, “just because I got Crutchie, don’t make it that different.”

Spot glanced at Jack again. “But it does!” He argued. “You’ve gotta make it a special day for him!” 

Jack shrugged, leaning his forehead against the window and gazing out into the cold streets. 

Spot sighed, pulling up to a stop light. “Look Jack, I’ll phone Race and see if you two can join us.” The light turned green and he started to drive again. “we’re going to see a film.” 

Jack nodded, watching as Spot turned into a car park. 

“We’re going out for a meal first, so maybe you could do the same for Crutchie?” Spot asked. He parked the car, it wasn’t too busy as everyone was staying inside and waiting for the snow to fall. He turned to his brother as he stopped the car. “Just don’t go to the same place we’re going.” With that he got out into the biting cold air. 

They entered the store, both thankful for the warm air that hit them as they stepped inside. Jack went straight for the confectionary aisle; this bit shouldn’t be too hard. He knew what Crutchie liked, after all he was his best friend. He glanced up and down, finally spotting the peanut butter cups Crutchie loved. Jack had never been able to see the appeal of chocolate and peanut butter together, but if Crutchie liked it, then that’s what Crutchie would get. 

Next was the hard bit, Jack had never brought a Valentine’s day card before! How was he supposed to start now?! He trudged down towards the card section, chocolates in hand. Spot was already there, holding a card in each hand and studying them mercilessly as if they would suddenly come alive and speak to him. 

He looked up as Jack came over, nodding at him. “You get something sweet?” he asked, smiling when Jack held up the bag of chocolate. “Perfect!”

Jack shrugged, sliding his spare hand into his pocket and heading closer. “I just need a card now, right?” he asked, reaching out to flick through the ones on display. They all looked the same, a mix of pinks and reds with love hearts scattered across them. None of them seemed right for Crutchie. Jack didn’t really want to buy one with the word ‘love’ on it, seeing as they weren’t actually dating. Eventually, he found a cute one with a small puppy on it. The puppy’s fur was a similar colour to Crutchie’s hair, so it was perfect. It was pretty simple, just an adorable picture of the puppy on the front with ‘Happy Valentine’s Day!’ written in big red letters across the top. 

Jack slipped it under his arm and turned to Spot. “Is that it then?” he asked, glancing around.

Spot shrugged. “I guess. Unless you want to get him anything else?” 

Jack shook his head. “We’re uh… we’re not making a big deal out of it this year.” He said. 

Spot nodded and with that they began to head for the checkout.   
-  
Race had been okay with Jack and Crutchie joining them for the movie, so Jack had called Crutchie to let him know. They’d both agreed on avoiding anything fancy, to keep each other comfortable.   
So, 24 hours later, Jack was stood in a nice pair of jeans and a flannel, ready to pick Crutchie up for their fake date. The first part of their evening wasn’t really a ‘date’, they were just going to a McDonalds near to the cinema, so they could chill out and grab something to eat before they had to pretend to be all romantic.

Eventually he had to leave. Race was driving himself and Spot so that Jack could have the car to get Crutchie. Just as he was leaving, his mother caught him, grinning wide when she saw him.

“Jack, you didn’t even brush your hair!” Medda sighed in fond tone of disappointment. “What’s Crutchie going to think?” She asked, reaching over to try sort out the mess of dark hair. 

“Hey! Hey!” Jack wiggled away, his hand up to protect his head from his mother’s fussing. “He uh… he likes it this way.” 

Medda stepped away with a look of amusement. “Okay! Okay! I’ll leave it!” She laughed, shaking her head. “You know the rules though, okay?” She nodded towards the window. “It’s been snowing so you drive carefully. Got it?” 

Jack nodded, “I’ll be careful Mama, I promise.” He was always babied like this, just because Spot was six months older. “I gotta go, Crutchie’s waiting.” He picked up his jacket from where it was draped over the back of the couch and pulled it on. “I’ll be back later.”

With that he was gone, calling a quick goodbye as he escaped his mother’s smothering of protection. 

When Jack finally got to Crutchies house he was already waiting outside. He turned down his music as Crutchie got in, shooting the boy an apologetic look. “Sorry I’m late. Mama kept stopping me,” he explained, starting to pull away from the curb.

“It’s okay,” Crutchie laughed. “Just get me to McDonald’s, some chicken nuggets are calling my name!”   
-  
“Hey that’s mine!” Crutchie exclaimed as Jack reached over and stole one of his chicken nuggets.

“You’ve got twenty!” Jack argued. “I’m allowed one!” 

Crutchie pulled a face before shoving a chicken nugget into his own mouth. “One!” He ordered. “No more!”

Jack rolled his eyes, eating his stolen nugget. 

“Do you know what film we’re seeing?” Crutchie asked.

Jack shrugged, “I think it’s some superhero film?” he murmured. 

Crutchie nodded. “Sounds cool!” He grinned. 

Jack nodded in agreement, grinning back at Crutchie. That was something he’d always loved about his best friend, no matter how hard you tried, Crutchies grins were always contagious. 

“Oh!” Jack suddenly remembered the carrier bag that sat down by his feet. He shifted in his seat, leaning down to grab it. “I brought you something,” he started as he resurfaced. “Y’know, just to make this believable.” He chuckled softly as he slid the carrier bag across the table to the other boy.

Crutchies face fell slightly. “Oh Jack… I didn’t get you anything.” He said sadly.

Jack was quick to shake his head. “Don’t worry!” He reassured. “Spot bullied me into it.”

Crutchie smiled, turning his attention back to the bag. “Well in that case…” He pulled the card out first, opening it. “Oh my god, Jack this is so cute!” he giggled, admiring the dog on the front. When he opened it however, his giggle turned into a loud, cheerful laugh. 

Inside Jack had taped an adorable picture of them both from a past Halloween. It had been taken years ago, and if Jack had worked it out correctly, Crutchie would have been ten and Jack, nine. They were both dressed up as cowboys, wearing matching bandanas and the same toothy grin. Beneath it he’d written in big capital letters. ‘Country boy, I love you!’ They were both obsessed with overused vines, so of course Jack had seen his chance and taken it. 

Crutchie rolled his eyes, throwing Jack a chicken nugget. “Here, you deserved it.” He laughed.

Jack caught it easily, biting into it immediately. “Open the other one!” He said, taking another bite.

Crutchie grinned, opening the bag again to pull out the packet of peanut butter cups. “My favourite!” He squealed happily.

Jack laughed, “of course!” 

Crutchie got up, stepping round the table to hug Jack. “Thank you!” He beamed, “This is the best fake valentine’s day ever!” 

For the second time that day, Jack fell victim to Crutchies contagious grin.


	4. Meet the family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Crutchie's Grandmother and Jacks nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a little longer to get up! I was ill all week.   
> I wrote this chapter late last night, I've checked it over but I apologise in advance for any mistakes.

Three weeks after valentine’s day no one had really said anything about their date, other than the odd question about how it had gone, and whether they had been on any more. Jack was beginning to hope that this would all blow over, that if they didn’t say anything, everyone would move on and that he and Crutchie would only have to wait a few more weeks before staging some freak argument and consequently a break up. Okay so maybe it wouldn’t be a huge break up, he’d still like to be Crutchie’s friend. He couldn’t imagine having to pretend that they were no longer talking and losing his best friend to some stupid lie they used to get their friends off their backs. Perhaps they could claim that it wasn’t working out and that things were better the way they were before. 

Either way Jack wasn’t worried. Well he hadn’t been until Crutchie had said something to change all of that.

“My Gran wants to meet you.” 

Those words five stopped Jack dead in his tracks, a cloud of confusion fogging his thoughts. 

“What?” Jack asked. “But she’s already met me?” 

Crutchie shook his head, smiling up at Jack from his spot on Medda’s living room floor. “Nah, she wants to meet you as my boyfriend.” 

Jack frowned slightly, shifting in his seat on the couch to look at Crutchie more easily. “You’re kidding, right?” He mumbled. “How did she find out?” 

“I dunno!” Crutchie laughed again. “Word gets around I guess.” With that he turned back to the TV, oblivious to panic he’d just bestowed upon the boy sat behind him. 

Jack had spent the rest of that night running various situations through his head. He hadn’t minded lying to his friends, or his own mother for that fact. He knew they would all understand when they eventually split up that they would move on and it was now an issue of the past. An elderly woman however, not so much. It wasn’t any old woman either, it was Crutchie’s grandmother! The kind woman who had greeted them on a cold day after school with a freshly baked cookie each when they were five, the same woman who had driven Jack to the hospital when he broke his leg at Crutchie’s house when they were 12. He couldn’t lie to her! Plus, she was smart, really smart. She’d know right away. Or even worse, she wouldn’t know and the second they split up she’d banish Jack from ever coming near her grandson again. 

Long story short, he had no idea how he was going to handle this.

Eventually Crutchie let him know a date and time. Tuesday 13th March, after school. 

Jack dressed nicely, brushed his hair twice and his teeth double that. He just had to get through school looking presentable and he would be fine. He was wearing a pair of black jeans, a navy-blue polo shirt and a grey hoodie. To finish it off he had kept his usual dirt ridden shoes, making the outfit a little more Jack-like. It wasn’t too different from usual, the only big change was that he’d actually ironed his shirt for once, making sure it sat neatly against his frame. 

He didn’t see Crutchie before school, which only made his nerves worse. Jack wasn’t a naturally nervous person, but something about their whole situation put him on edge.

His first lesson was chemistry, which he never understood anyway. Luckily this meant it didn’t make much difference that he spent the hour doodling aimlessly, his leg jumping beneath his desk in a desperate attempt to distract himself. 

To Jacks relief, Crutchie was sat in their usual spot at lunch. 

“Hey,” Crutchie grinned as Jack sat down. 

“Hey,” Jack murmured in response, sitting himself down. “You okay? I couldn’t find you this morning.”

Crutchie paused briefly as if trying to remember where he had been. “Oh!” He pointed at Jack with his index finger, quite literally putting his finger on it. “I had to talk to my Spanish teacher about the homework.” He explained, shrugging to himself.

Jack nodded, pulling his lunch out his bag. “Fair enough.” 

They sat in silence for a moment, Jack unwrapping his sandwich and Crutchie listening to the various conversations that scattered about the room. 

“Hey Jack!” Davey broke the silence, glancing across the table at him. “You’re dressed fancy. Going somewhere?” he teased, raising his eyebrows comically. 

Jacks eyes widened in surprise and he choked briefly on his most recent bite of sandwich. “What?!” He asked, shaking his head.   
Unfortunately, everyone else was interested now.

“Come on Jack,” Katherine laughed. “Where are you going?”

Jack shrugged, ducking his head. In the corner of his eye he could see Crutchie laughing along. “I’m uh- Crutchie’s introducing me to his Gran. Y’know, as his boyfriend.” He muttered quietly, embarrassed that they had noticed his efforts.

“Aww!” Race beamed. “Little Jackie wants to impress her!” He teased, prompting the others to ‘aww’ along with him and Jacks   
blush of embarrassment to darken.

Crutchie was still laughing; he nudged Jack happily. “You’ll be fine,” he said. “She already loves you.”

Jack could only hope it would stay that way.  
-  
Jacks last lesson of the day was art which allowed him an hour of peace as he got to work on his latest painting. He didn’t think about dinner with Crutchie all lesson, just letting himself relax for a bit and zone out.  
He was so lost in thought that he jumped when the bell rang, only realising the time as he hurriedly tidied up and shoved his hoodie on before racing out the door to meet Crutchie. 

Crutchie was stood where Jack usually met him, the wind blowing around his face and whipping his hair into a mess of different directions. 

“Ready?” Crutchie asked as Jack approached. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Jack laughed, shrugging as they started to walk towards Crutchie’s house.

When they got there, everything went as it usually did, Crutchie’s gran, Ivy, greeting them the second they stepped through the door. She pulled Crutchie in for a hug, holding him as if she hadn’t seen him for days, let alone just that morning. 

“Hey sweetheart!” She beamed, her smile radiating warmth. “Did you have a good day?” 

Crutchie grinned wide, pulling away with a nod. “Yes, Gran.” 

Ivy smiled lovingly, turning to Jack. “Jack, dear!” She pulled him into another one of her signature hugs. “I haven’t seen you in ages!”

Jack chuckled, shaking his head fondly. “Life’s busy Mrs Morris,” he explained, earning a coo of light-hearted disappointment. 

“None of that!” Ivy huffed. “Call me Ivy!” 

Jack smiled softly, he was told this every time he stopped by, but it just wouldn’t stick. “Okay, Okay!” He nodded, holding his hands up in surrender.

Ivy grinned, her smile so similar to Crutchie’s that Jack would struggle to tell the difference. “Dinner will be ready in half an hour; you boys go have fun.” With that she disappeared, leaving her soft floral scent behind to linger in the warm air.   
-

Dinner, again, went the same as usual. The three of them enjoying one of Ivy’s special home cooked meals and chattering idly among themselves about anything and everything. It reminded Jack of how carefree their childhood had been, dinner at Crutchie’s house on a Monday and dinner at Jack’s house on a Thursday. Their schedule worked that way for years until eventually they grew up and spent more time away from home with their friends. He found it oddly calming to sit in his old spot at the Morris kitchen table, it was like old times. 

However, for Jack, things had a way of changing when he least expected it. 

So, Crutchie said you two have been together for a while now?” Ivy asked, making Jack look up suddenly, clearly not expecting the change of subject. Just a few moments ago they had been discussing Jacks art lesson, Ivy had seen the paint covering his hands, and now it was their fake relationship. Just great.

“Uhm yeah, about 6 weeks?” Jack looked at Crutchie for confirmation, to which the boy nodded and continued to eat his mashed potato. 

Ivy nodded, glancing between the pair. “And I wasn’t told because...?” 

Jack could feel his face heating up, this is what he’d been worried about, upsetting her. 

Luckily for him, Crutchie stepped up to answer the question. “We wanted to be sure it would work out,” he explained. “Before we made it a big thing.”

“Ah,” Ivy nodded again. “Well, if you’re both happy?” She looked at them both as if expecting a confirmation, which they gave her in a hurried bounce of the head. 

“Very happy ma’am,” Jack supplied, wanting to make his answer clear.

“Then I’m happy,” Ivy finished, causing Jack to breathe a silent sigh of relief. 

He glanced across the table to see Crutchie grinning at him and slowly turned to Ivy, smiling softly at her. 

“Thank you.”


	5. Love will do what it does

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's Race's birthday and Jack comes to startling realisation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry there's been such a wait between updates! I've been really busy looking at colleges and trying to study for my upcoming exams.   
> I can't promise things will speed up but I hope this chapter makes up for it.

As mid-March arrived so did spring, the stress of impending examinations and most importantly Racer’s birthday. Being one of the youngest in the group, he loved to make a big deal out the day, often throwing a big party with excessive amounts of alcohol and music so loud it could most likely deafen you. So, it was no surprise to anyone when he brought up his plans for this year.

“I’m thinking a massive inflatable!” Race grinned, “and a shit ton of alcohol!” 

They were sat around the lunch table, listening to hear what they would be getting themselves into at this year’s party. Katherine was first to speak up, as always, she was the voice of reason.

“How are you paying for all of this?” She asked with a teasing giggle. “You just quit another job.” 

Race laughed, shaking his head. “I’ll find a way!” He said. “I always do!” 

Jack rolled his eyes, glancing across the table at his brother. “How much are you giving him?” He asked, knowing Spot could never resist helping his boyfriend with his extravagant plans.

“Not much!” Spot defended almost immediately. Receiving a pointed look from Jack he shrugged, speaking up again. “A couple hundred…” He mumbled. “Don’t tell Mama.” He added, using his eyes to make it clear there was a threat involved.

The group laughed, none of them surprised at Spot’s generosity. 

“When is it?” Crutchie asked, opening a packet of sweets that someone had produced at some point during their conversation. 

“I’m thinking the Saturday after my birthday,” Race said. “So, the eighteenth.” 

Jack frowned. “That’s the weekend before exams start,” he pointed out. He never really cared too much about the annual exams, but he was keen to do well this year. He wanted to prove he was capable of more than just a few paintings.

Race laughed, “what does it matter?” He asked. “You a lightweight Jackie?”

Jack huffed, turning his attention back to his food. “No… I was just saying is all.”

With that the group returned to their conversation, deciding on a dress code and who would bring what.  
-  
The day arrived quickly, leaving Jack in a rush to study and also find Race an appropriate gift. He hadn’t told anyone about his goals for the upcoming tests. Knowing his brother, he’d just be teased endlessly.  
He studied right up until he had to leave on the Saturday evening. He was getting a ride with Spot, so they were leaving early to help set up. The party was taking place in Race’s back garden, the inflatable he’d ordered sitting at one end the drinks, music and food at the other. Not many people were invited, but they didn’t have to be. Over the years Race’s parties had become famous across the school, so people just arrived as they pleased, letting themselves in to join the crowd. 

It didn’t take long to set up and soon enough they were greeting guests. Elmer, JoJo and Mush were first to arrive, the three came in, laughing as they greeted Race before heading straight for the drinks. 

The night continued steadily in a similar fashion and Jack had already finished his first drink by the time Crutchie arrived. 

“Hey!” Crutchie grinned, shouting over the loud music. 

“Hey Crutch!” Jack beamed. “Drink?!” He called, offering a can and leaning in close so the shorter boy could hear him. 

Crutchie replied with a shrug, “no thanks!” he laughed. 

Jack nodded, keeping the drink for himself. “Race is over there.” He told him, nodding in the direction of their friend. The birthday boy was currently on Spot’s back as he tried to scale the inflatable. They watched as Spot lost his footing, sending them both sliding back down and Race falling backwards off his boyfriend’s back and rolling the rest of the way down. 

The garden erupted in laughter, another pair getting together to see if they could do any better. Jack grinned at Crutchie with a mischievous look in his eye.

“NO!” Crutchie giggled, pointing an accusing finger at his best friend. “Not happening!” 

Jack laughed, rolling his eyes, “you’re no fun!” He whined. 

Crutchie just shook his head, leading Jack towards a less crowded part of the party.

At some point, however, it became clear that Jack had, had enough to drink and he became increasingly giggly, swaying off beat to the music that blasted from all around them. 

“Dance with me Crutchie!” Jack giggled, putting down his drink on a nearby table and holding his hand out to the boy. 

“I don’t dance!” Crutchie laughed, rolling his eyes and adjusting his crutch beneath his arm. 

“Sure, you do!” Jack argued with another giggle. He took Crutchies hand before the boy could even consider arguing further. He made his way through the crowds, finding them a gap big enough for them to move freely in. Jack then slowly moved his hand to rest on Crutchies waist, the other eventually joining it. He shot Crutchie a signature grin, hoping the other boy would join in.   
With a sigh of reluctance, Crutchie gave in. He draped his free arm round Jacks neck, leaning into the taller boys hold. 

Slowly they began to sway to the music, Jack grinning at Crutchie, and soon enough Crutchie grinning back. Giggles filled the air as they danced slowly, moving together as one. 

Jack, in his more than tipsy state, took this chance to watch Crutchie. He watched the way the smaller boy’s cheeks flushed pink in the chilly evening wind, the blush painting lightly across his cheeks, allowing his freckles to shine through like a highlighter brightening a word of importance on a page. He noticed Crutchie’s laugh in more detail this way. The way he beamed with every tooth, his eyes screwing up in pure delight and his dimples showing up as if they were gateways to this happiness.   
Jack couldn’t help but laugh along, his own eyes shutting as he took in the moment. He noticed how nice Crutchie smelt, and the way the shorter boy pulled him close as their dance progressed. It was this carefree satisfaction that Jack wished he could live with forever.

The only thing keeping him down to earth was the nagging reminder that this was all a lie. They would never dance like this in normal circumstances, it was just because they were supposed to be dating.   
Looking at that grin though, made Jack wonder if maybe this could work. Properly, not as a lie. Maybe Jack could change that, make it true. He studied Crutchie for a moment longer, before taking his chance. If it went wrong, he’d just play it off as making the lie believable. 

With a deep breath, Jack slowly leaned in. His eyes fell shut as their lips collided, Crutchie’s soft against Jacks own rough pair. He kissed Crutchie softly, but at the same time desperately tried to make it clear that this was more than just a kiss. The music seemed to grow quiet as Jack shut out everything but Crutchie and himself. He could taste his alcohol mixing with the warm taste of Crutchie’s soft drink. Their breath mingled, and Jack was sure it was working. He was almost adamant Crutchie felt the same way… until the other boys breath hitched, and a strong, firm hand against his chest broke the moment apart. 

“J-Jack...” Crutchie’s eyes were wide, his face red as he caught his breath. “Jack, no.”

Those two words somehow broke Jack’s heart, a warm dull feeling flooding through his chest as he stood, mouth open but no words escaping. 

“Jack...” Crutchie tried, but in his drunken state, Jack wasn’t listening. 

“I-I’m sorry!” Jack blurted out, eyes wide as he stumbled backwards. “I’m sorry!” He repeated before rushing away and leaving Crutchie in a shocked daze in the middle of the party. 

No one saw Jack again that evening. He completely disappeared, alone with his thoughts.

He was in love.

He was in love with his best friend.

And there was nothing he could do about it.


	6. The city's finally sleeping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Jack's realisation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a little shorter than usual but I thought it worked better that way!

After Crutchie’s rejection Jack had left the party as quickly as possible, not wanting to face the embarrassment and heart break. He knew he would have to eventually but right now he just wanted to be alone, to forget everything and pretend that nothing had changed. Unfortunately, no matter how far he ran he couldn’t escape the constant nagging feeling at the back of his mind, reminding him of why he was running. 

He liked Crutchie Morris. 

No, he loved him. 

Eventually had to Jack slow to a stop, his lungs burning from the run and his intoxicated mind spinning with a sense of unease and exhaustion. Looking up he saw that he’d come to a fire escape of an old abandoned building he and Spot had come to as kids. It was a long way across town, but it was just was Jack needed right now. With a shaky breath he began to climb, going higher and higher as if the distance would shut off all reminders of the party and the night itself. 

It was starting to get cold and by the time Jack had sat down on the roof of the building the chilly air had turned the tips of his ears pink. Not that he minded, he had more pressing issues to deal with. 

Jack leant back against the wall and slowly pulled his legs to his chest. He let his chin rest atop them and his eyes slide shut just for a moment. If he sat like that for long enough he could almost hear the sound of Spot’s annoying ramblings from beside him, telling Jack all about this new kid at school and how his name was really cool and that he had a just gotten an adorable kitten, not to forget that the kid was a great cook. 

If Jack tipped his head back a little his imagination let him believe it was just another one of those cold winter mornings they used to spend up here together, laughing into the wind as they watched the ducks on the frozen river across the street.

Or even better, if Jack really tried, he could almost pretend that nothing could go wrong. That he was safe up here. Like Spot had always said.

“No one can get you up here Jackie.” His brother had said, his voice gentle and reassuring. 

Jack had believed him for years, believed that something as simple as a small rooftop could make everything so much more safe and secure. 

He wanted to believe him now.

Wanted to believe he hadn’t just thrown away the best thing that had ever happened to him. To believe that he’d climb down that ladder and find Crutchie grinning at him as he turned up for school.

The only problem was, Jack wasn’t entirely sure that’s what he wanted. Maybe deep down he actually wanted to climb down and find his best friend with his arms open wide, explaining that what had happened at the party had been a mistake. That he felt the same way.

No matter how hard Jack Kelly tried, he couldn’t change how he felt. He couldn’t go back and pretend the feelings had never been there to begin with.

He just couldn’t.  
-  
He wasn’t sure how long he’d been sat up there, but when Jack next opened his eyes the sky was much darker than it had been when he’d first closed them, and the city had gone still. The hustle and bustle from just a few hours ago, fading away into a still, comforting silence. It was almost as if the buildings around him were giving him some space, a quiet moment to think. 

It took Jack a few moments more to truly realise why he had opened his eyes again to begin with.

“Jack?” It was Spot. 

Jack turned his head slightly to look at his brother, his eyes red, not from crying but from how hard he’d been pressing them into his knees.

“Jack?” Spot repeated, creeping a little closer and sitting down. He didn’t sit beside him, but he sat just near enough to be a comforting presence. 

Jack could smell the alcohol on his brother, the cold air making the smell that much more evident.

“You okay?” Spot was still talking, knowing that the younger boy might not respond just yet. 

To his surprise however, Jack nodded and finally met Spot’s eyes with his own. “Yeah.” He whispered quietly, voice slightly rough from the chill.

Spot moved to sit beside his brother now, a hand reaching up to ruffle the boy’s hair. “You want to talk about it?” He asked, voice caring.

Not many people saw this side of Spot but growing up Jack had needed it a lot. He was sure Spot had needed it just as much, no one could possibly like being so hostile all the time. 

Jack shrugged, unintentionally leaning into his brother’s hand. “I’m okay.” 

Spot nodded, moving his hand down to squeeze the back of Jack’s neck. Whether it was to keep him grounded or just for comfort, Jack didn’t know, but he appreciated it all the same.

“You sure?” 

Jack nodded, “I guess.” 

Spot frowned but decided not to push it any further, he knew it wouldn’t do Jack any good. Trying to make him talk would just make him shut off more.

“Okay.”

Spot understood and that was all Jack could ask for.

For now, at least.


	7. My dreams, they's average-size

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Crutchie talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took me a month to upload! I had to get through nine exams last week and couldn't find any time to write. I'm hoping to upload a lot more frequently now. Sorry for the wait!

Exams had never been Jack Kelly’s thing. He panicked easily and the idea of sitting in a room full of people who all seemed to know what they were doing while he struggled through the first question terrified him. However, he had never been so grateful to see the exam season arrive. This year he seemed to blossom when it came to studying, sitting at his desk for hours on end and slaving away at an open textbook until his back grew sore and his hand seized up around his pen.

No one had ever seen him like this, so dedicated and determined. Whispered theories were spreading throughout their social group. Katherine had chosen to believe that Jack had finally come to realise just how valuable their education was; Race had decided Jack wasn’t actually studying, but something else (he was yet to decide what). It was Davey that came closest of them all. He was adamant their friend was hiding from something, but he wasn’t sure what. Spot was the only one who really knew what was going on. He had spent nearly an hour the evening prior just trying to coax his little brother out of his room to join their mother and himself for a movie night. He had failed miserably. 

Jack Kelly had locked himself in his room, in a pathetic attempt at avoiding everything he’d destroyed at Race’s birthday party, and he had no plans of showing his face anytime soon. 

He left the house before anyone had the opportunity to stop him; he spent his lunch breaks either in the library or some distant classroom; and his evenings took place behind the locked door of his bedroom. 

This routine continued steadily for the first half of the exam season, and there was no sign of it stopping. Until one evening, just as Jack was finishing up a chapter in his textbook, his brother knocked on the door.

“Go away, Spot!” Jack called, wanting nothing to do with any ‘smart’ plan the boy had come up with to try pull him away from his books. 

“I can’t, someone wants to see you!” Spot’s voice came through the door, slightly muffled by the worn down, wooden door.

Usually Jack wouldn’t fall for it, assuming his brother was simply trying to trick him into leaving, but the way his brother spoke made him begin to question that logic. This ‘someone’ seemed important. It didn’t take long for him to realise what his brother’s emphasis on the word truly meant. 

“Oh...” He murmured, pushing his chair out from beneath his desk with a tooth grinding squeak. Jack slowly pushed the door open, barely acknowledging his brother as he walked past. He didn’t want to do this, it was too soon. Besides, it wasn’t as if the outcome would change. Crutchie would turn him down, again, and then make out as if they had broken up or something similar. Jack wouldn’t only lose the guy he liked, but he would lose his best friend, and he wasn’t sure he could handle that just yet.

“Just hear him out, yeah?” Spot murmured, resting a reassuring hand on his brothers’ shoulder and squeezing it softly. “you’ve got this.” 

Jack nodded, trudging away from his brother. As he made his way down the stairs he suddenly became conscious of just how awful he looked. He was wearing grey sweatpants with an old Captain America shirt on. His hair was sticking up at an odd angle to the left of his head from where he had let his head fall against his hand while studying. It wasn’t unknown to anyone in the house that he needed to shower, and he could only pray it wasn’t as evident as they had made it out to be. 

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the front door. Spot had shut it again, giving Jack a few moments to compose himself before facing what was on the other side. 

After one short moment he opened the door.

On the other side stood Crutchie. His hair sticking out from beneath his beanie and a loveable grin set nervously upon his features. His teeth had moved forward to chew nervously on his bottom lip, dimples showing but the smile never really meeting his eyes.

“Hi...” Crutchie was the first to speak, his words gentle. 

“Hey,” Jack murmured in response, sliding in his hands into his pockets and leaning against the door frame in one last attempt to appear unphased by what was to come. 

There was a brief silence, the air thick with tension as neither of them moved to speak first. In the end it was Crutchie who spoke first, the words tumbling from his mouth with the speed of someone confessing something deadly. “I owe you an apology.”

“No, you don’t,” Jacks’ response was smooth, and he mentally applauded himself for saying it so steadily. “You don’t owe me anything.”

Crutchie shook his head, cutting him off. “I shouldn’t have reacted like that.” 

“It’s fine,” Jack murmured. He was lying, and he knew it, but maybe if he could just pretend everything was okay it would be. 

With a sigh Crutchie adjusted how he stood, leaning a little more heavily on his crutch, something Jack knew he did when he was thinking . “Could we- could we just pretend this never happened,” he motioned between himself and Jack.

No matter how much Jack had stalled, nothing would have prepared him for those words. They hit him hard, stinging like a deep graze on a child’s knee. It took him a moment before he realised that he was expected to respond. “You do know people think we’re dating, right?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah… I was just thinking, maybe we should wait a while before faking some sort break up,” Crutchie mumbled. “y’know, to make it believable.” 

Jack wasn’t sure what hurt more, that Crutchie was turning down his gesture, or that the boy had already planned out the rest of their lie. Couldn’t he have waited until things had smoothed over a little? Either way he had to agree, it was the best course of action. “Yeah…” He swallowed, hating how easily his voice betrayed him, making it a weak whisper.

They stood in silence, just watching each other. “I am really sorry…” Crutchie was, again, the braver of the two, breaking up the tension. 

Jack nodded. “Yeah. I know.” 

They stopped again, the constricting silence returning. After a lingering stare and what felt like a decade of stillness they moved. “I’ll leave you to study,” Crutchie whispered. “See you around?” 

“Yeah,” Jack whispered, chest tight. “See you,” he muttered, watching as the other boy turned to walk away. 

He watched him go until he was nothing more but a distant blur at the end of the street. It wasn’t until Jack stepped back inside and shut the door that he realised the blurriness was from his own tears. His knees went weak as he let himself slide down the door, hitting the floor with a limp thud. A hand drifted up to his mouth to stifle a sob. His eyes creased shut, forcing the tears to slide free and dance down his cheeks in silent unity. 

Why did he have to ruin everything?


	8. Got no choice but to see it through...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spot confronts Crutchie and Crutchie lands himself in an awkward situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I lost my notes for the chapter before this and it went a little off plan, so I guess this chapter was me tryna put it back on course? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

Two weeks went by and very little changed. The exam season finished, leaving Jack with little excuse to hide away from the rest of humanity, and he was still trying to get over his first real heart break. Of course, he’d never really told Spot what had happened that evening at the front door, but his brother had developed a vague idea from Jack’s forlorn expression whenever the topic was approached. 

Jack had taken to moping around the house, dragging his socked feet across the carpet as he moved from the couch, to the fridge and then up to his room. It was a constant cycle in an odd loop around the house. 

Spot wasn’t the only one to notice either, their mother, Medda, had noticed her youngest sons quiet demeaner almost instantly. Jack Kelly was only quiet when he had a big art piece due in, or when he had an exam coming up, but now that the bulk of his exams were over, neither provided a good enough explanation. So, she was worried. 

It wasn’t long before she took matters into her own hands.

“Spot, honey,” Medda murmured quietly. She was stood in her oldest son’s bedroom doorway, her arms crossed against her chest as she leant carefully against the solid wood doorframe. 

Spot looked up from where he was laying across his bed on his phone. “Yeah?” He watched as Medda slowly stepped further into the room, shutting the door behind herself. 

“Can I talk to you about something real fast?” She asked softly, sitting on the edge of Spot’s bed and patting his ankle gently.

Spot frowned, eyeing his mother nervously as he sat up to meet her. “I swear, whatever you’ve heard, it wasn’t me…” he muttered, watching her face for any hint of what was going on.

Medda just rolled her eyes with a laugh. “You haven’t done anything,” she chuckled. “Well not that I know of anyway.” She shot him a teasing look.

“Then how can I help?” Spot laughed, leaning his shoulder against the wall and gazing up at the woman.

“I need you to tell me what’s going on with Jack,” Medda asked, keeping her voice down to make sure her youngest son didn’t hear them.

“Oh that...” Spot murmured.

“Yes. That” Medda hummed, raising an eyebrow.

“Mama… I honestly ain’t kidding when I say I don’t know…” Spot sighed, glancing down at his legs and picking a few bobbly specks of fluff from his sweatpants. “I just know Crutchie came to see him. And-”

“Crutchie?” Medda cut him off. “Have they not been speaking then?” 

Spot shook his head slowly, “No… as far as I know they had an argument at Race’s party and then Crutchie came to talk to him.” He shrugged slowly, clearly just as confused as everyone else. 

“Oh…” Medda sighed, “I guess that makes sense.” 

Spot nodded. “Yeah, but we need to fix it. I hate quiet Jack.”

“You and me both kiddo,” Medda sighed. “You and me both.”

“I guess I could talk to Crutchie at school?” Spot offered. “Jack never comes to lunch anymore, so I can do it then.” 

Medda smiled softly at her oldest son. “Would you?” 

“Yeah,” Spot nodded with a quick shrug. “Though I’m not too sure how much I can find out.” 

Medda nodded in understanding, “Thank you,” she whispered, getting up from the bed. She ruffled Spot’s hair lovingly, messing it up, before heading towards the door. “Dinner’s in half an hour.” She said, turning to leave as if the conversation had never even happened. 

-

Spot didn’t actually get around to confronting Crutchie until a few days later. They had been standing beside one another in the lunch queue when he finally spoke up. 

“Hey Crutch?” Spot started quietly, trying to make it seem as carefree as possible, he didn’t need to scare the boy away. “How’s things with Jack?” He asked, glad to be away from their usual lunch table of friends. Not everyone needed to know his brother’s business. 

It seemed to take Crutchie a moment to completely register what Spot had said before he could concoct an answer. “Hmm? Oh… uh good?” The boy shrugged, moving along as the line continued. 

“Oh…,” Spot raised an eyebrow, surprised that Crutchie had lied. It was clear to everyone that the couple were facing some issues, so why lie? “He’s seemed a little upset recently…” Spot pressed on, wanting a better answer. “Surely you’ve noticed?”

Crutchie nodded quickly. “Yeah, yeah I’ve noticed.” He mumbled, tapping his finger against the grip of his crutch. “I figured he might need some space?” he shrugged, moving along again.

Spot hummed, trying not to let a frown fall into place. “Really?” He asked.

Crutchie only nodded again, “yeah.” There was a brief lull in conversation before Crutchie suddenly spoke up again. “I’m gonna ask him to prom!”

Spot turned on the balls of his feet to face Crutchie, watching the boy for a moment. The last he’d seen, Crutchie had pushed his brother to tears, and now he was asking him to prom? Something didn’t make sense here. “Prom?” 

Crutchie nodded, smiling wide. “Yep!” 

Spot cautiously mimicked the boys nod, still trying to figure out exactly what was going on. “Good for you… I guess?” he murmured. “When are you going to ask him?” 

“As soon as possible,” Crutchie answered, moving along in the lunch queue and handing over his money. “Just gotta find the right way to ask him.”

Spot did the same and they began to walk away from the lunch queue. As much as he knew something wasn’t quite right, Spot wasn’t too sure he cared. Jack needed cheering up, and if this date to prom would do that for his brother, he wasn’t about to interfere. It might bring an end to the odd silence Jack had brought upon their household.

“He wouldn’t mind if you just asked,” Spot pointed out. “You know, the old-fashioned way?” 

Crutchie’s smile widened and he nodded. “Yeah. Yeah maybe you’re right.”

Spot laughed quietly, nudging Crutchie’s arm with his own. “I’m always right.” 

Crutchie nodded, rolling his eyes as they sat down at their usual table. “Yeah, whatever.”

Spot simply turned to his food with a kind “Good luck.” Little did he know; a text was being sent straight to Jack from underneath the table.

Jack: Spot thinks im taking u to prom


	9. Something to believe in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Crutchie meet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry for another long wait. I've been really busy with christmas and preparing for my college interview.  
> If you guys would like more info on when chapters are going up, feel free to follow my instagram @midnight.fandoms_  
> I often post on there while writing.  
> I hope you enjoy!

Jack: Spot thinks im taking u to prom 

Neither Jack, nor Crutchie said anything about the text for almost three days. 

Jack wanted to think this through before responding. If they were going to stage a break up of some sort, surely Prom would be taking things too far. It would shut the door behind them and lose them any chance they had of bringing this lie to an end once and for all. Plus, did Jack really want to go to Prom with not only his best friend, but his crush? Crutchie clearly didn’t like him that way, so an evening spent dancing and acting all lovey-dovey with him would surely break Jacks heart for good. 

However, the biggest problem was that Spot knew and Jack hated lying to his brother, but if Spot knew the truth the whole plan would back fire completely. The boy would only become more desperate for Jack to find someone. 

Jack sat on the floor of his bedroom, his back leaning against the bed as he gazed at the wall. He could do this right? It was only one night. One night and he could go back to his boring, same old life. Yeah. He could do it.

He picked up his phone, typing out a reply to the days old message.

Crutchie: Okay. Sure, i’ll go 

Jack looked back up at the wall, wondering how long it would take Crutchie to reply.

He didn’t have to wonder long, however, as Crutchie responded almost instantly. 

From Crutchie: Cool. i’ll pick u up @3

Jack frowned, reading the message over and over before finally replying. 

Crutchie: Why? Prom’s not till the end of next week

From Crutchie: Suit shopping :) 

Of course. This wasn’t going to be a one-night thing! It was going to be a big thing!

Jack groaned dropping his phone to the floor. 

He didn’t move until he heard Crutchie’s car pull up outside. He got up just as the doorbell rang, pulling on his shoes and grabbing a jacket with his wallet.  
Just as he was heading downstairs Jack stopped himself. He’d be fine, he just needed to pretend nothing had happened. Just like before, when they were younger.  
With that he started walking again, not giving himself a chance to look back.

“Hey.”

Jack hadn’t even registered that he’d opened the door until Crutchie was in front of him, speaking.

“Hey,” he responded, raising a hand to run through his already messy hair. “Ready?” he asked gently, stepping outside and shutting the door behind himself. 

Crutchie nodded. “Yeah, I’ll drive.”

Jack simply nodded in return, following Crutchie to his car. So far so good, but then again, not a lot had happened.

-

The car journey was uneventful. Jack looked ahead out the window while listening to the music. It was Crutchie’s favourite artist, some British singer. Jack could never remember his name, he just knew he had ginger hair (Crutchie had shown him a picture) and wrote some pretty good songs. He couldn’t help but smile as he listened to Crutchie hum along, his eyes set in concentration as he drove through the streets towards the shopping centre. 

Jack didn’t speak up until they arrived. “So…?” He started as they walked through the crowded centre towards the store. “Know what you’re looking for?” He asked, holding the door for  
Crutchie as they entered.

Crutchie simply shrugged, “I’m not sure, I like blue I guess.”

Jack nodded in agreement. “Blue would suit you.” 

Crutchie turned to him, smiling his usual warm grin, and Jack couldn’t help but grin back.

That smile was usually reserved just for him. When they were little Crutchie would giggle for hours after a joke was made, and Jack had always found it hilarious how he couldn’t stop it.

It was the same smile, Jack wished he could see more often. Though, with recent events, it didn’t seem likely. 

He’d just have to make the most of it now. 

Jack fell out of his thoughts as he noticed Crutchie holding up a shirt to himself. “It’s too dark,” he called, walking over.  
“You want one that compliments you, not hides you,” Jack said, picking up a lighter one. He handed it to Crutchie who nodded and held it up. 

“Oh yeah!” Crutchie nodded. “That makes more sense.” He looked at himself in the mirror for a moment longer before catching Jack’s eye and turning around. “Since when did you get so  
good at this?” He asked.

Jack shrugged, “Kath used to make me go shopping all the time.” 

Crutchie just nodded, turning back to the mirror. 

Jack and Katherine had been a thing for a while back when they first started high school. No one really spoke about it though because it barely happened. It ended a little abruptly, when Katherine met Davey’s sister and realised she much more preferred dating women. 

Jack was fine with it though, he was glad even, Katherine was happy and that was all he cared about.

As the day went on, Jack found himself relaxing a little more. Things were slowly becoming more and more like they had before the party. 

Jack held up a bright green shirt, coming up behind Crutchie in the mirror and swapping it for the one the boy was holding. “What about this one?” he asked with a laugh, raising an eyebrow at the hideous shade. He would never truly understand how Crutchie made the colour work, but he did. He made a lot of things look good.

“Oh my god!” Crutchie giggled, wiggling his eyebrows happily. “I look great!” he exclaimed sarcastically, turning to face Jack. 

Jack laughed, taking the shirt and holding it up to himself. He looked up into the mirror, just in time to see Elmer, JoJo and Romeo walk in.

Of course, today would be busy, after all it was the last Saturday before Prom. Why hadn’t Jack thought of that?!

“Crutch,” Jack hissed. “Look,” he nodded into the mirror.

Crutchie looked up, eyes widening slightly. “Oh.”

They didn’t even get a chance to consider what was going to happen before the group walked over.

“Hey, fellas,” Romeo grinned, “You love birds getting your suits ready?” He asked, raising and eyebrow amusedly.

Jack nodded. “yeah, figured we best do it together,” He silently thanked whoever was listening for his sudden ability to lie on command.

The boys grinned, glancing between themselves and Jack felt Crutchie slide their hands together. 

“Have fun,” The group laughed. “Use protection and we’ll see you around.” Elmer added with a stupid grin. With that they were gone again, stumbling off and laughing as JoJo elbowed Elmer into a clothes rack. 

Jack slowly turned to Crutchie, eyes wide. 

Just seconds later, as if a switch had been flicked, the pair both started laughing. 

“We need new friends,” Jack laughed, shoulders heaving. He hadn’t laughed this hard in a long time, and if he was honest, the joke wasn’t even that funny. He was just glad to have his best friend back.

The rest of the day went very much in the same fashion. Trying on suits and laughing at the most stupid things. Just like the old days.

Both had a great day, leaving the store with fresh suits and a hunger for lunch. 

And if either of them noticed how their hands found one another again as they left the store, they didn’t say anything.


	10. The poor guys head is spinning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack needs a hug and Crutchie's comes to a long awaited realisation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't think I'd have another chapter up so soon, but inspiration hit and I wrote a really long one! I hope you enjoy it, I know I enjoyed writing it.

After the suit shopping trip, Jack and Crutchie began to spend more and more time together. Their movie nights continued, they spent more time together at school and Crutchie was always at Jack’s for dinner. It was just like before.

However, just four days before Prom, it all went a little wrong. 

Jack woke up on Tuesday morning with a headache. Of course, being as stubborn as he was he ignored the dull pounding behind his eyes, simply blinking it away before continuing his journey to the kitchen.

As he sat down he could practically hear Medda’s thoughts as she watched him come in. She always knew when something was wrong, it was a blessing as well as a curse all wrapped up into one. 

“Good morning, Jack.” 

Jack didn’t even look up to answer his mother, just grabbing some bread and dropping it into the toaster. 

“Mornin’,” he mumbled, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes to once again try numb the ache behind them.

“Rough night?” Medda asked in her soft motherly voice as she poured him a glass of water. 

Jack took it gratefully, sipping at it as he waited for his toast to pop up. “Headache,” he mumbled.

“Ah,” Medda nodded in understanding. She opened the draw beside her and pulled out a packet of pain killers. “Here take two.” She pulled him close for a moment, running her hand through the back his hair as she hugged him.

She sat back down at the table and the kitchen went quiet. Jack buttered his toast and took his own seat at the table. He let himself zone out as he ate it, not even noticing his brother enter the room until the sound of Spot’s voice pierced through his foggy mind and stabbed at his senses. 

With a wince Jack looked up, toast still in his hand.

Spot was sat on the counter eating grapes straight from the plastic container. 

“So, Race decided he wanted a red tux, but I said blue!” Spot sighed, shoving a grape in his mouth. “He has blue eyes! So, the blue matches!” 

“Let the boy wear what he wants,” Medda laughed softly.

“But he has blue eyes! Not red!” Spot whined, throwing more grapes in his mouth. 

Jack winced at his brother’s volume, putting the rest of his toast down. “Shut up Sean!” he mumbled, dropping his head into his hands with a sigh.

Spot looked to their mother with a frown, raising a questioning eyebrow.

“Headache,” Medda mouthed.

Spot must have got the message because the rest of their conversation was held in hushed tones. 

When the time came for them to leave, Medda stopped Jack as he tried to make his way out of the kitchen. 

“You sure you’re up to going?” She asked, running a hand through his hair. 

Jack just nodded, letting himself lean into her hand for a moment of comfort, before pulling away to head out. 

-

Of course, Jack’s day only got worse. 

He passed up Spot’s offer of a ride, deciding to walk rather than listen to Spot and Race giggle stupidly at the sight of one other. Unfortunately, that was the better option, as just minutes after he’d left the house, it began to rain. 

Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but Jack’s coat hood had ripped, so he’d left the shelter at home. 

By the time he got to school, both Jack and his hoodless coat where drenched. The cold water droplets ran down his face, making his skin sting and his headache grow increasingly worse. 

With a sigh, he ran a hand through is wet hair, trying to brush the water out before heading towards his locker. 

Half way to school he had decided he’d just have to keep his head down, pay no attention to anyone, and hopefully make it through the day.

After a brief battle with his locker. Jack took his books and went to class, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw a substitute teacher sat behind the desk.

His plan seemed to work, however, only until lunchtime. 

Having spent most of his morning with his head in his hands, Jack had completely forgotten to make himself lunch, and this meant he needed to go into the canteen. 

The canteen was the loudest room in the school. For obvious reasons. It was full of screaming, sweating teenagers, in desperate need of food. 

Jack’s idea of hell. 

Luckily, for him he knew the way to his usual lunch table like the back of his hand. So, keeping his head down, and his shoulders hunched in a pathetic attempt to block the noise out, he made his way across the hall.

After an agonising forty-eight second s, Jack made it.

He slid into his seat beside Crutchie and just let his head rest against his arms. 

“You okay?” Crutchie asked quietly, his frown evident in his voice.

Spot looked up, watching the pair from his seat across the table, and when Jack didn’t seem to be responding, he took matters into his own hands.

“Hey... Jack?” Spot whispered, crouching down beside his brother’s seat. “Jackie, can ya hear me?” 

Jack simply grunted faintly in response, just to make it clear he was listening.

Spot nodded to himself. “Is it your head still?” He asked. Jack had a bad history with headaches and migraines, so he had a vague idea of what to do in this situation.

When Jack grunted again, Spot reached his hand up to lace his fingers through the back of his brother’s hair and try release some of the tension. 

“Can you tell me how bad?” He whispered. “Use the numbers, Jack.”

When Jack was little he’d hated talking when is head hurt, so Medda had created a number system to help him communicate how much pain he was in. Five being the worst and one being manageable.

Spot waited, watching as Jack struggled to make up his mind. Eventually he did, holding up three fingers. Letting out a sigh, Spot nodded to himself, still playing with Jack’s hair. It wasn’t bad, it could have been worse, but he’d also love for it to be lower.

“We’re gonna take you to the Nurse,” Spot whispered. “And Mama’s gonna come pick you up.” He squeezed Jack’s hand with his spare one and stood up.

“Can you do this for me?” He asked Crutchie, nodding at his hand, which still sat on the back of Jack’s neck, working through his hair. 

Crutchie nodded, standing up and swapping Spot’s hand with his own. 

Together they helped Jack up, Spot steadying him and Crutchie fiddling with his hair. 

However, Jack had other plans. “I can walk,” he grumbled, pushing them off. He rarely got headaches at school, and he wasn’t about to make a scene out of it now. 

Crutchie glanced at Spot, who just nodded, and with that they began to follow him through the corridors. 

-

Medda arrived pretty quickly, murmuring something to Spot about how she ‘saw it coming’. 

Once they got home, Jack just led himself upstairs to bed. He took his jeans and shoes off and decided to sleep in his shirt as it was too much effort taking anything else off. 

“Oh, Honey,” Medda sighed as she let herself in his room with a glass of water and another packet of painkillers. “You’ll get too hot like that.” She sat down on the edge of his bed and gently helped him out of his shirt. Usually Jack would be humiliated by this, but right now he simply didn’t have the energy. 

“Here,” Medda whispered, handing him the pain relief. She watched him take it, running a hand through his hair. When he was done she let her hand slide down to cup his flushed cheek. 

“You going to be okay up here?” She asked quietly, brushing the pad of her thumb across his heated skin.

Jack just hummed tiredly in response, knowing she’d understand. “Okay...” She kissed his forehead lovingly before getting up. “I’ll come check on you in a bit.” 

With that Medda left, leaving his door open slightly, just in case. 

Jack slept through a lot of the day, keeping to himself as he waited for the headache to pass.

Around four O’clock Crutchie came back with Spot, to see how he was. Jack barely registered the noise as Crutchie crept into the room. He did, however, feel the dip in his mattress as   
Crutchie sat down. Blinking groggily, he opened his eyes to squint up at his best friend.

“You okay?” Crutchie whispered under his breath, fiddling with Jack’s bed sheets. 

“Yeah,” Jack murmured, feeling a little more himself now. He let his eyes drift shut again, knowing Crutchie would understand that he wasn’t trying to be rude. 

Crutchie steadily began to move. He shuffled backwards across the bed so that his back was resting against the wall, and as he did so, he gently lifted Jack’s feet so that by the time he was done they were resting in his lap.

Nothing was said for a while, but that was okay because it didn’t have to be. The pair just sat in silence, save for the sound of Jack’s tender breath hitting his pillow. 

Crutchie was happy to just watch him, the palm of his hand rubbing affectionately across Jack’s ankle, trying to help ease his pain and discomfort in any way possible.

It was in this moment of silence, that Crutchie got to really take Jack in for the first time in what felt like forever. He watched as the boy’s long hair fell into his face and bounced about with every exhale. Jack’s hair had always been long, he liked to run his hands through it and claimed he couldn’t if it was cut too short. 

Jack’s cheeks were flushed, due to him being warm or in pain, Crutchie couldn’t tell, but he really hoped he was just warm. 

Crutchie let himself admire Jack from where he sat. He’d always been jealous of how good Jack looked, how effortlessly he pulled off messy hair, and how his laugh was never ugly but always charming.

Crutchie went still, his eyes on Jack’s ankles. Oh god. He liked Jack. 

He liked his best friend… a lot.

And he had for a while. 

Crutchie was shocked out of his thoughts when Medda pushed the door open and poked her head round it.

“Are you staying for dinner, Honey?” She asked, smiling at him.

Crutchie could only nod, too shocked by his own realisation to form any kind of words.

Medda just nodded, assuming his silence was for Jack’s sake. “I’ll bring some up for both of you.”

Crutchie watched her go, glancing back at Jack with a sigh.

“Jack Kelly…”


	11. There's change coming once and for all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's prom night!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled writing this because I had a load of exams last week, and then ideas kept coming to me and I didn't have time to write. It was just a little bit of a mess really.   
> But I hope you enjoy!   
> I think the next chapters going to be the last.  
> However, I'm thinking of doing a sequel. Please comment if you'd be down for that!

“Get out the bathroom, Conlon!” 

Jack was beating his fist against the door, his hair falling in his eyes as he desperately tried to get inside. He had a hairbrush tucked under one arm and a tub of hair gel in the other hand. 

“You’ve been in there for ages!” He called, kicking the bottom of the door with his foot.

The two brothers were getting ready to leave for prom, but Spot had decided to take up the bathroom right when Jack needed it most. Jack was really looking forward to tonight, he’d even spent the last two days in bed to make sure his migraine was well and truly gone. 

Tonight, had to be perfect… but if Spot wouldn’t get out of the bathroom that might not happen. 

Just like that, the bathroom door flew open, causing Jack to stumble forward as an exasperated Spot stormed out of the room. 

“I’m not going!” He exclaimed suddenly. “I’ve changed my mind!”

Jack frowned, straightening himself up as he took in his brothers new found rage. 

“Not going?” He asked. “How can you ‘not go’?! You’ve been talking about tonight for weeks!” Jack pointed out, raising an eyebrow and stepping towards his brother. 

Spot just shook his head. “My hair won’t sit right and my shirts all creased!” He shot back quickly. “It’ll ruin everything, and Race will hate me!”

Jack sighed, chewing the inside of his cheek. If Spot was this stressed out over prom, god help them all if he ever got married. “Look…” he moved to lean one shoulder against the wall. “I’ll iron your shirt and I’m sure Mama can fix your hair.” He held out a hand for the shirt which currently sat unbuttoned on Spot’s shoulders.

With a reluctant nod Spot let himself free of the shirt and handed it over, before scampering off down the stairs with a pitiful wail to their mother. 

Jack rolled his eyes, turning on his heel to head into the bathroom. Tossing Spot’s shirt to one side he looked at himself in the mirror and set down his ‘equipment’.

His hair was limp, and clearly too long, as it danced across the bridge of his nose and hid his myrtle green eyes. Normally, Jack didn’t mind this, but right now he wanted nothing more than for it to sit perfectly away from his face. 

Chewing at the inside of his cheek again, he picked up the hair brush and started to try taming the locks of hair. 

By the time both brothers where ready it was almost time to leave.

“Come on!” Medda smiled, “I want a picture of you both!” 

Spot groaned, pulling Jack closer by his sleeve so that their mother could take a picture of them both. They plastered on smiles as she took the picture, before going instantly back to their waiting. 

Spot was checking his phone every five minutes and patting down his pockets, whereas Jack was once again chewing the inside of his cheek and shifting his wait from foot to foot, almost as   
if practicing his dancing before the big night ahead.

Both couples were going together, Race was driving. 

Crutchie arrived first, smiling warmly up at Jack as he answered the door.

“Hey,” Jack smiled, stepping aside for the boy the enter. “You look nice.”

Crutchie blushed, ducking his head. “You don’t look to bad yourself,” He whispered, looking back up at Jack a little. 

For a split second, maybe longer if Jack squinted, it felt as if they were no longer pretending. That maybe Crutchie could feel the same way…

A cough interrupted the moment and they both spun around to see Spot, slightly red in the face and twitching nervously on the balls of his feet.

“If you don’t mind…” he murmured, stepping closer to the door to wait for his boyfriend. 

Jack frowned, unsure what had gotten his brother so antsy. Perhaps him and Race were arguing over something?

Either way it didn’t seem to matter because the second Race arrived they seemed just as love-struck as always.

The car journey was relatively uneventful, Jack and Crutchie sat in the back, their fingers drawn together between them. 

Jack was a little quiet, trying to remind himself that this was only to keep up the pretence. To hide the truth from the others. However, a part of him wanted to give in, just forget the lie and pretend this was entirely real. 

Unfortunately, he couldn’t. Jack knew that was a bad idea and he couldn’t stand even the thought of a re-run of Racer’s party. 

By the time they arrived Crutchie and Jack had shuffled a little closer, not that either of them noticed of course. It was just natural.

The pair got out of the car, their fingers still linked together. 

Again, just for show.

The hall was noisy and full of teenagers dancing and grinding against one another. In one corner sat a group of boys that Jack was positive where already drunk, and in the other sat a group of the more academic students, who were only there due to their parents insistent nagging. 

He wasn’t sure who he felt the worst for. 

Occasionally Spot and Race would dash past in a fit of giggles, or Katherine would swing by with a drink in hand. Other than that, the night was mostly uneventful. Until the last hour at least.

Jack and Crutchie were laughing between themselves, dancing stupidly off to one side to allow Crutchie room for his crutch. Jack had a cold can of coke in one hand, eyes screwing up as he grinned at some joke Crutchie had just made. He could barely hear himself think when Crutchie asked to speak to him in the hallway. With a numb nod, he followed the boy outside, throwing away his empty can on the way out.

Once in the hallway, Jack shot Crutchie a confused look. The door swung shut behind them, leaving the hall a blur of heavy sound just pounding through the cracks between the wood and carpet. 

“Everything okay?” Jack asked softly, frowning a little.

Crutchie nodded quickly, adjusting his crutch. “Yeah, I just have something to tell you.”

Jacks frown seeped into a smile. “go ahead,” he breathed.

Crutchie couldn’t help but smile when Jack did, his smile had always been infectious.

“Okay…so…” He stalled, nervously adjusting his crutch again. “You know Race’s party?”

Jack’s face fell almost instantly, causing Crutchie to continue in a sudden rush to relieve him. 

“I know what I said that night… but if you’d let me, I’d like to take it back.” Crutchie said hurriedly, the last bit escaping him in less than one breath.

Jack didn’t move at first, just watching Crutchie. Slowly he began to nod, that movement then turning into a jerky confirmation. 

“Of course,” Jack whispered, a giddy grin spreading on his face. “Yes!” he giggled softly.

Crutchie grinned, stepping a little closer to Jack. “Really…?” He asked, almost scared he was hearing Jack wrong.

“Really…” Jack nodded, slower now. He stepped a little closer, closing the gap between them. 

A gaze lingered between them, neither one of them moving, until they both did at the same time. 

Jack’s lips grew closer to Crutchie’s, and the smell of coke brushed across Crutchie’s soft lips and-

The door flew open again, and the constant thud of music flooded the hallway.

“I just proposed to Race!”


	12. Welcome home to Santa Fe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue to round things up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> We made it!  
> When I started working on this idea back in September, I genuinly didn't believe I would make it this far.  
> But here's the last chapter!  
> I'm honestly going to miss writing these characters so much.  
> I might do something more with them a little later on, potentially even sooner but I also might not.  
> Either way! I hope you all have enjoyed this little journey we've been on and I hope you enjoy this final chapter!  
> ♥

“That’s clearly red!”

“No, it’s blue!”

“Red!”

“Blue!”

“Red!”

Jack sat back in his chair, looking away from the overly intense game of twister that was taking place on the grass. He let his mind zone out and the sound of Spot and his new fiancé began to fade away. Jack sighed and let himself gaze around, fiddling with the bottom of his shirt as he admired fierce variety the balloons and banners that his mother had draped across the garden fence. He never really did anything for his birthday, being the youngest of the group meant most people were often bored by the time the calendar got to his special day. However, this year felt different, a series of spontaneous decisions from everyone within in the group had made the past twelve months seem well spent and maybe even successful. 

That’s why Jack found himself sat in the garden with his beloved cap pulled down just over his eyes to keep his face from burning in the sun. He had a small paper plate of pizza sat in front of him on the table, half eaten and melting in the sun. 

“Hey.” It was only a whisper, but it was enough to draw Jack out of his thoughts.

Tipping his chin up, he locked eyes with Crutchie and couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey,” Jack echoed back, fiddling with the bottom button of his shirt.

“You okay?” Crutchie asked, reaching his hand over and sliding his fingers through Jack’s to stop him from pulling his button off his shirt completely.

Jack nodded, smiling still. “Yeah, just thinking.” He shrugged and glanced across at the couple laying on the grass. They’d given up their argument and had taken to giggling in between short kisses.

“What about?” Crutchie pressed quietly. His tone was loving, and it sent shivers across the back of Jack’s shoulders, which seemed almost impossible in the current heat.

Jack had never really had anyone other than Medda and Spot to he could claim he loved. Until a few months back he had even been convinced he’d never find love. This however was a different type of love. 

With Spot and Medda it was more of a trusting and reliable bond, the kind that was irreplaceable. He knew he could fall back on them and they would catch him almost every time, even if  
they missed he knew he could count on them to help pick up the broken pieces.

His love for Crutchie was way more intense. Jack often found himself lying awake until the early hours, just thinking about his boyfriend and the moments like these. He absolutely cherished  
these moments and would give anything for more of them. 

He’d seen it in his brother’s eyes for years now but had never truly been able to understand exactly what the boy was experiencing.

“Jack?” 

Jack looked up and smiled sheepishly, his cheeks glowing crimson from a mixture of the weather and embarrassment. “Sorry I was-” 

“Thinking again,” Crutchie finished for him, an amused grin on his face. He slowly reached up with his spare hand to adjust Jack’s cap, lifting it a little so he could see the boy’s face properly. 

“I could tell.”

Jack simply whined, pulling away from Crutchie’s gaze. “Let a man admire his party in peace,” he grumbled, though there clearly was no bite behind his words.

Crutchie just let out a laugh, following Jack’s eye line towards Race and Spot. “You thinking about them?” He asked softly, not looking away just yet.

He saw Jack nod in the corner of his eye and found himself watching as the boy as he struggled internally to string together exactly what he wanted to say.

“You- do you think they’ll actually do it?” Jack asked eventually, chewing at his lip.

Crutchie could only nod. “Honestly… yeah. I do.” He whispered. 

Jack glanced back at the boy beside him. “I think they’re ready.” He admitted quietly.

Crutchie couldn’t help but smile. “So, do I, Jack.” He whispered. “So, do I.”

Without hesitation, Jack leaned in to greet Crutchie’s lips with his own. He let himself smile against his boyfriend’s lips, sighing happily as he felt the other boy’s hand slide up into the back his hair and under his cap.

He didn’t move when his cap fell off to one side, exposing his face to the sun and he didn’t complain the following day when he woke to a scorched complexion.

He certainly didn’t complain as Crutchie pulled away, only to shuffle closer again.

This was perfect.

Everything he’d ever wanted, even though he hadn’t quite realised it until now.

And although thing’s where starting off slow, he wouldn’t change it for the world.

After all,

Love at first sight’s for suckers.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos appreciated :)


End file.
